Art Critic Of The Week (5)

Most of us have an overwhelming desire to make an impression on our first day in a new job. An unnamed security guard, on his first day of duty at the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Centre in Ekaterinburg could not resist adding some finishing touches to Anna Leporskaya’s avant-garde painting entitled Three Figures which she had painted between 1932 and 1934.

He drew eyes on the faceless figures of the painting which formed part of an exhibition of abstract art. To make matters worse, he used a ballpoint pen provided by the gallery.

Leporskaya’s work is insured for £740,000, but, fortunately, the guard did not press too hard, and the damage was relatively superficial, the ink only slightly penetrating into the paint layer.    

It took two visitors to draw a gallery employee’s attention for the additions to be noticed. The painting was removed from the exhibition to be touched up and the guard was fired.